Rotating blowout preventer



June 22, 1 943. wlLLlAMSON 2,322,679

ROTATING BLOWOUT PREVENTER Filed Feb. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I \l, s2-:12:

lf Ky I (T'Tl Patented June 22, 1943 UNITED STATES iATENT OFFICEROTATING BLOWOUT PREVENTER Al B. Williamson, Corpus Christi, Tex.

Application February 4, 1941, Serial No. 377,294

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a rotating blowout preventer and the supporttherefor whereby fluid pressure may be transmitted to the preventerWhile it is rotating to eifect the actuation thereof so as to eitherclose or open the prevcnter.

In the drilling of wells by the rotary method wherein the drill stem isrotated in the well bore, the bit often penetrates a formationcontaining high pressures and in many instances the well has beendestroyed by an excess of pressure from the formation blowing thedrilling mud and the drill stem out of the well. Blowout preventers havebeen devised to form a seal about the drill stem so as to confine thepressure in the well bore and a majority of these blowout preventers areoperated by fluid pressure.

Many attempts have been made to provide a blowout preventer which wouldsuccessfully form a seal about the drill stem, particularly while thedrill stem was rotating. In view of the fact that there is a great dealof drilling mud including various types of abrasives present, it isdifficult to form a seal about the drill stem. In other in stances theKelly joint or grief stem, which is a non-circular member used to: drivethe d-rill stem,

may be present at the elevation of the blowout preventer and if so, itcould not be rotated with the blowout preventer closed about it. Thepres ent invention, therefore. contemplates a support or mounting for afluid pressure operated blowout preventer so that the preventer may beactuatedto open or closed position and may rotate withthe drill stemwhile it is closed to grip and seal the drill stem.

It is desirable to rotate the drill stem While the well is closedv sothat a circulation of drilling mud may be had towork off excessive gaspressures, to introduce mud of a greater specific gravity, or tootherwise treat the well.

The drill stem is rotated during each operation to prevent it fromfreezing or sticking in the long column of liquid or drilling mud in thewell.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a rotatingsupport for a fluid pressure operated blowout preventer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotatable support to beaflixed to a well head.

Still another object of the invention is to provide fluid pressureconnections from the wellhead to a rotating support therein.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rotating body tobe supported upon a well head while maintaining a seal about said bodyand circulating liquid from the well head into and out of the body.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent whenthe following description is considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of 'a well head andsupport constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections taken on the lines 2'-2 and 3-3 respectivelyof Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a well head and support illustrating theblowout preventer, its operating connections and the drill stem.

In Fig. 1 the well head is illustrated generally at 2 and may have aflange 3 thereon which 1 serves to connect the well head assemblythereto.

This well head assembly in turn includes a flange base 4 which isaffixed to the well head by a series of bolts 5.

This base is of peculiar construction in that it has an internalupstanding skirt 6 having a flared lip l thereon. This base is arrangedto have affixed thereto a spool 9 having the flange l0 projecting at itsupper end. This spool 9 is arranged to cooperate with a second spool l 2which is very similar to spool '9 but is inverted in its position'andafiixed to the spool 9 by the bolts H5. The spools Band I2 each carriesan enlar ed por tion' I4 by which a shoulder I5 is formed. These twoshoulders form an enlarged annular chamber 1 l6 which is in turnarranged to receive the flange ll of the body l8; An antifrictionbearing. Wis" positioned on each side of the flange l'l'and con finedagainst the shoulders l5 so that the body I 8 is rotatably mounted andheld in a vertical position by the spools 9 and I2.

The body I8 is recessed at 20 so as to fit over theupstanding skirt 6and the lip l. The chamber 2! thus formed is filled with a packingmaterial 22 so as to form a seal between the skirt 6 and the downwardlyextending flange 23- which forms the lower end of the body l8. Ashoulder 24 on the outer periphery of the body 18 fits into the chamberit formed by the spools 9 and I2. It should be noted that the lower end23 of the body l8 extends downwardly into the groove 26 in the base !4and that an outer packing chamber 21 is thus provided between the bodyof the spool 9 and this portion 23, which chamber carries a packing 28.In this manner any pressure flowing from the opening 30 through the wellhead and the body l8 which tends to escape around the top of the skirt 6would have to follow of a type having the rams 4| which are movable bythe application of fluid pressure thereto. These rams are arranged toclose about the drill stem 42 which may be a section of round pipe or itmay be the non-circular kelly or grief stem portion 42.

As hereinbefore indicated, it is desirable that the blowout preventer 40rotate with the drill stem 42 if a seal is to be maintained about thedrill stern under high pressure or for any considerable length of timewhile the drill stem is being rotated. To accomplish this, the presentinvention contemplates that the blowout preventer 40 will be connected'as by the threads 43 to the upper end 44 of the body 18. In this mannerwhen the drill stem 42 rotates the rams 4| may be clamped firmly aboutthe drill stem andthe rotation of the drill stem will cause rotation ofthe blowout preventer and the consequent rotation of the body Hi. Inthis manner the weight of the blowout preventer will be carried by thesupporting body l8 and the body will be sealed in the well head in arotatable position.

In order that the blowout preventer may be opened or closed while it isbeing rotated, a suitable assembly has been arranged to conduct thefluid under pressure by which the blowout preventer is actuated. Thisfluid may be steam, water, drilling mud or oil, as the case may be.

In Fig. 4 the arrangement for conducting the pressure to and from theblowout prev-enter is shown in the form of the spools 45 and 46 whichare upported respectively upon the spool l2. The spool 45 is flanged atits ends for connection with the adjacent spools and is cut out at 4'!to receive the packing 41.

Intermediate the ends of this spool 45 is an annular flange 48 which hasthe annular opening 49 therein which opens into the inner periphery ofthe spool. This opening 49 is arranged to be positioned in alignmentwith an annular opening 50 in the periphery of the body l8. A pipe maybe connected to a source of fluid under pressure so that pressure willbe forced into the opening 49 and the opening 50.

Inasmuch as the two annular openings 49 and 50 are in alignment,therecan be a flow of fluid this the pipe 55 leads into the chamber 56which in turn connects with the chamber 51 in the body I8 and leads tothe pipe 58 which is connected to the inside of the rams in the blowoutpreventer 40.

By a suitable control valve or valves the pressure can be introduced toopen and close the blowout preventer while the drill stem and thepreventer are both rotated. Clearly the pressure may be maintained onthe preventer to hold the rams closed during any period of rotation. Thespool 46 has suitable packing positioned between the body of the spooland the body l8, the same as the other spools previously described.

In order to prevent escape of each packing from its particular recess, aspacer ring such as Bl! may be provided between each of the spools.

In order to confine the upper set of packing 62 in the top spool 46 aretainer ring 63 is shown as threaded into the top of the spool. A holddown cap 64 confines the top packing 65 about the body and this cap is,in turn, held in place by the bolts 66.

While two entrances or connections for fluid pressure to pass throughthe rotating connections to the blowout preventer have been shown.

out preventer including a base spool, a plurality.

of additional spools stacked thereon, a support for the preventerextending through said spools, means rotatably positioning said supportin said base spool, additional means to provide a seal about saidsupport in each of said spools, and a fluid :passage through one of saidadditional spools to said support. 7

2. A well head for rotatably supporting a blowout preventer-including abase spool, a plurality of additional pools stacked thereon, a supportfor the preventer extending through'said spools, means rotatablypositioning said support in said base spool, additional means to providea seal about said support in each of said spools, a fluid .passagethrough one of said additional spools to said support, and an outletpassage throughanother of said additional spools from said support sothat the preventer may be hydraulically actuated while rotating.

' AL B. WILLIAMSON.

